The Importance Of Breakfast

I think it’s quite important to understand the importance of breakfast. It really is – for reasons you’ll see below – the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast provides the nutrients that are not always made up for in meals and snacks later on in the day. Starting the day with breakfast benefits every member of the family – providing nutrients for your brain and body. Skipping breakfast may leave you feeling tired, restless or irritable in the morning.

Here are some of the benefits of eating breakfast

• Fuels the body to help provide energy.
• Better concentration and problem solving throughout the day.
• Children who eat breakfast perform better at school, are more likely to participate in physical activities and are healthier overall.
• Better mood and memory.
• Helps you feel less stressed and calmer.
• Heightens your sense of well-being - you’ll be in better control of your emotions.
• Important for weight loss and weight management. You ‘break the fast’ which helps curb hunger and prevents binge eating later in the day,
• A great way to get more fibre in your diet - by eating whole grains and fresh fruit.

It's easy to ignore the importance of breakfast. Many people don’t feel hungry enough to eat breakfast in the morning. This is more than likely because of eating a big meal late at night. What happens is when you go to sleep; your body is still working hard at digesting and hasn’t had chance to rest during the night. So it doesn’t feel much like digesting a big breakfast. A good idea is to eat earlier – at least 2 hours before going to bed.

Here are some effects of skipping breakfast

• Short attention span
• Lack of alertness
• Longer reaction time
• Low blood sugar
• Decreased work productivity

• Whole-wheat or rye toast with nut butter and a piece of fruit.
• Bran muffin with yoghurt and fresh fruit.
• Whole-wheat bagel with cream cheese.
• High fibre hot cereals like oats (oatmeal). This will keep you feeling full for longest as oats take longer to digest - therefore releasing the energy very slowly into the bloodstream leaving you feeling fuller for longer. I can vouch for this one!
• High fibre cold cereals – beware of those that have too much added sugar, fat, salt and additives.
• Granola – here is a wonderfully tasty and easy recipe so you can make your own.
• Fresh fruit.
• Eggs – try poaching or scrambling for a healthier alternative. If you have a very good non-stick pan, you can fry with the bare minimum of fat – try using olive or coconut oil.
• Low fat breakfast smoothie.
• Low fat yoghurt with fresh fruit.

We can set a good example for our children by letting them see us making time for a healthy breakfast every morning. This will help them to understand the importance of breakfast. Just as long as it’s healthy it can be as simple or complicated as you have time for.

Research has proven that children who eat breakfast have better attention levels and are less at risk for developing obesity. They perform better academically, socially and emotionally. Some studies have even linked breakfast with increased longevity and less chronic disease.

This wonderful information really helps increases our understanding of the importance of breakfast. What I love about this meal is that it can be as quick and easy or elaborate as you want it to be. I also think it’s a great way of getting the family together for a chat first thing in the morning.

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